Little Ones
by Griffin Stone
Summary: Sometimes, it's the hero who needs rescuing. (A series of one-shots from various shows where it's the minor characters helping the hero.) Currently includes: Miraculous Ladybug, Voltron: LD, and The Deep
1. Table of Contents

Welcome to my newest story! _Little Ones_ will take place in any show that I feel inspired to write in. It'll probably include movies and if I ever am brave enough to write for a book, this is probably where I'll start.

As the synopsis says, these stories will take place between a main character and minor characters. Minor characters can range from less-seen partners, parents, side characters who don't do much canonly, or even original characters. The scenarios can be anything from injury, illness, or plain comfort.

* * *

**2-Forest Connection: **(Voltron: Legendary Defender) Ryner takes a deathly sick Pidge into the forest, and witnesses a miracle. Pidge gets a new family.

**3-Underwater Haven: **(The Deep) When Ant gets trapped on an underwater exploration, it'll be up to Jeffrey and his new dolphin friends to help him find a way out.

**4-Yupper Pup****: **(Voltron: Legendary Defender) Lance, alone and injured, is found and immediately adopted by a yupper pack.

**5- Kitten Sneezes in the Alley: **(Miraculous Ladybug) Chat Noir falls ill, and collapses while on patrol. He is found by Tom and Sabine, who decide to care for him until Ladybug can help.

**6- Plagg's Kit: **(Miraculous Ladybug) Adrian returns home filthy and hurting, but can't exactly tell his father. So, Plagg steps in.


	2. Forest Connection (V:LD)

**A/N: Series: Voltron.**

**Notes: This contains various headcannons about the Olkari and their forest that I've gained through talking to some other writers. Also, it is extreme angst. I almost cried writing it. I had this idea for months, but as I was writing it, I stopped about halfway through and realized that I am a horrible, _horrible_ person. Which brings me to my final, most important note. **

_**This takes place in between seasons five and six!**_** Seriously, keep that in mind. 0_0**

**Synopsis: Ryner takes a deathly sick Pidge into the forest, and witnesses a miracle. Pidge gets a new family.**

* * *

"Ryner."

"They are not coming, I know," Ryner murmured.

Ryner didn't turn, but she didn't have to. The disappointment and sadness coming from Renus was answer enough.

Just as the Olkari were connected to the land, the land connected the Olkari. Ryner had sensed the feeling of betrayal, and added her own sadness at the foolishness of the absent paladins.

"Do they not understand what is happening?" Ryner mourned. She sat down beside the bed, finally looking at the younger Olkari standing uncertainly in the doorway. "Did you tell them the danger? Bluntly, or did you try to soften it?"

Renus shook his head, vibrating in anger. "After my message to gather the others was ignored three times, I told the black paladin the truth."

"The black paladin," not "Shiro," Ryner noticed. Not that she blamed him for being unable to say the paladin's name. Just then, she didn't think she could, either.

"I told him…" Renus swallowed. "I told him that Pidge is dying."

A broken roar that shouldn't have come from any being shook the building. Rynder turned toward a window to see the Green Lion returning to her post, watching her paladin with her glowing yellow eyes. Every Olkari was saddened by Pidge's illness, but nothing compared to the Green Lion.

While Renus went to murmur comfort to the Lion, Ryner looked back to Pidge.

Pidge had been healthy when she arrived two movements ago to help with the mapping of Galra movements and outposts. After a couple quintants, she had fallen abruptly ill. The paladins had called it a stomach bug, but it had lasted for four quintants. A movement after arriving, Pidge had become unresponsive. Everything the Olkari tried had failed, and not even their best efforts could keep the smallest paladin from wasting away in an alarmingly short time.

Now, Pidge laid deathly pale. Robes that had once fit her perfectly, wadded around her thin frame. Her breathing was shallow at best, and her heart fluttered. The fever of the early sickness had vanished, leaving her skin chillingly cold. But she didn't shiver. She didn't move at all.

Attempts to get even one paladin to come and check on Pidge themselves had failed. The paladins were too distracted by missions elsewhere to stop. Too distracted, it seemed, to even come and say good-bye.

"Have the scholars found anything?" Ryner asked.

Renus shook his head. "Nothing that we have not already tried."

"She will not make it much longer," Ryner said quietly.

The Green Lion made a sound that could only be described as a moan. Ryner suspected the Lion would have gone and dragged the other Lions back long ago, but feared to leave her paladin when she was so ill.

"There must be something," Renus said, storming from the room.

"There is something I can do," Ryner murmured, standing. "It is not a cure, but let me show you Olkarion one… one last time."

Ryner scooped up Pidge. Her tiny frame had so little weight, but grief made Ryner's burden so much harder to bear.

Ryner walked through the building and stepped outside. She was greeted by the Green Lion, who fell in pace beside her as Ryner walked.

Olkari left off what they were doing to turn and watch Ryner. Heads bowed as Ryner passed, recognizing the act.

Ryner walked silently through their city, feeling the pain of her people strengthen until her heart ached more fiercely than ever. It was always a sad quintant when they lost one of their own, especially one so young. And while Pidge might not have been Olkari by birth, she was one in spirit.

Ryner reached the forest and unconsciously stopped. She took a deep breath and pressed on. The Green Lion rumbled and took to following from the sky.

Eventually, Ryner reached a clearing large enough for the Green Lion to set down. Ryner looked sadly up at the Lion, then knelt to lay Pidge in the thick grass.

"I do not know what humans do for those in their deciding vargas," Ryner said. "But the Olkari take our own deep into the forest, and speak these words. We are the land, and the land is us. May we draw strength from the forest, so that we may survive what fate decides."

Pidge remained impossibly still. Ryner had felt her pulse weakening as she walked. Whatever her future may be, Ryner knew it would be decided before nightfall.

As was the ritual of the Olkari, Ryner weaved branches and grasses together to form a nest. She set Pidge inside the nest, and continued her work. Larger branches made a wall and loose-woven ceiling to let the light inside. Flowers and ivy were delicately draped on the sides.

Everything was done by hand. Bark scraped and flower thorns poked, but Ryner worked until the small shelter was complete. Once that was done, Ryner knelt.

Resting one hand on Pidge's forehead and the other on the ground, Ryner closed her eyes. As much as she wanted Pidge to awaken, the decision was beyond her. Pidge would have to wake up on her own. All Ryner could do was wait, and accept the outcome.

The Green Lion roared in agony and coiled her body around Ryner and the shelter. The Lion fell silent, waiting as Ryner was.

Nearly a varga passed before Ryner sensed a change. Not in Pidge, but in the forest. Curious, Ryner opened her eyes and looked up.

The treetops rustled in a non-existent wind. Branches rattled, dropping leaves on the Green Lion and shelter. A thrum of energy seemed to build, like when the Olkari summoned tree-mechs. Only bigger. Much bigger. And all the energy was headed for the Green Lion.

The Green Lion stood and roared. She planted a foot beside Ryner. Removing her hands, Ryner stood and backed away. The Green Lion lowered her massive head beside the shelter's entrance, hiding Pidge from view.

The energy continued to grow, building and building under the Green Lion's paws. The trees swayed as if caught in a wild storm. The grass shuddered, almost in anticipation.

Suddenly, a bright light flashed from the Green Lion's eyes. Ryner shielded her eyes and fell back.

In the same instant, the energy vanished. The trees raised to their former position, and the grass fell still. The clearing became eerily silent.

A tick later, the silence was broken by a gasp.

"It cannot be," Ryner thought, running around the Green Lion.

Pidge was sitting up, staring wide-eyed around in confusion. She absently pet the Green Lion's nose, then her eyes fell on Ryner.

"Ryner? What-" Pidge grimaced and fell back as she tried to stand. "What happened?"

"You were ill," Ryner said, rushed forward to support Pidge. "Terribly ill. I thought… I thought we would lose you."

Pidge's eyes grew even wider. "What? But, I didn't feel like I've been sick. Tired, but…" Pidge trailed off as she looked down at herself. She felt the ribs that had become visible through the skin. "How…?"

"The forest healed you," Ryner said, delighted. "The forest and your Lion."

Pidge beamed at the Green Lion. "You healed me, girl?"

The Green Lion purred.

"Come on, we have to get back," Pidge said, struggling to stand. "Everyone must be worried."

Ryner helped her up. The girl was still weak, but stubborn. Ryner suspected Pidge would insist on walking back, even if it meant accepting help.

"There is no rush," Ryner said. "The others have felt my joy at your recovery."

"Yeah, but I'm sure the other paladins need to see me," Pidge said, grinning.

Ryner stiffened. Pidge looked at her, sensing the hesitation despite Ryner preventing herself from showing it. Pidge's expression dropped to something unreadable, but Ryner could feel her confusion as strongly as if she were Olkari.

"They… aren't here?"

Ryner wordlessly shook her head. Pidge dropped her head and Ryner could feel the betrayal from her. The forest had done more than just heal Pidge, Ryner suspected, but there wasn't time to wonder about that.

"To be fair," Ryner said, dropping to her knees. "I do not think the younger paladins knew."

"I know they didn't," Pidge said, sniffling. "Lance would already be here, shaking me and telling me to never do something so foolish again. Never mind I didn't get sick on purpose. Hunk'd be bawling his eyes out. Allura probably has some lecture about getting sick. And Shiro…" Pidge closed her eyes. Anger emanated from her. "Shiro didn't say a word, did he?"

"No."

Pidge shook her head, eyes clenching against sadness. "Why?"

Ryner couldn't say anything. Shiro had known the severity of the situation, yet had not come. What kind of excuse could he have? Even if she wanted to come up with one for the black paladin, Pidge would feel her disbelief.

The Green Lion saved Ryner from trying to speak by nudging Pidge with her muzzle. Pidge sniffled again, anger and sadness warring for dominance. Hurting with her own pain as well as Pidge's, Ryner wrapped her arms hesitantly around Pidge.

Pidge didn't hesitate. She twisted to press her face into Ryner's robes and sobbed with all the frustration of a child with too much weight on her shoulders. Though startled, Ryner pulled her closer, Pidge's raw emotions so strong that the elder Olkari couldn't hold back tears of her own.

When neither had any tears left, Pidge pulled back to look Ryner in the eyes.

"Don't tell the others," Pidge requested, voice shaking, but resolve solid.

"But they should know," Ryner protested.

"Shiro had his reasons. He must. Maybe he didn't want the team to get distracted just because-"

"No!" Ryner gripped Pidge's shoulder to stop her. "You nearly died, Pidge. That is not nothing! Are you not a family? When one of you is sick, do you not all worry and fight to keep them safe?"

"The universe is more important," Pidge said, voice quivering.

"Never say that," Ryner said, voice softening. "If Voltron is not your family enough for them to know, then know this. We are connected now."

"Connected?"

"No matter what happens," Ryner said, knowing Pidge could feel the strength of her promise. "Olkarion is your home. The Olkari are your family."

Pidge gave her a wavering smile. "...thanks."

Ryner tried to keep her smile encouraging. "Now come. Knowing you are well or not, the Olkari have been anxious while you were ill."

Her smile a bit stronger now, Pidge let Ryner support her. The pair made their slow way through the forest. Close, not just physically, but also in spirit.

* * *

**A/N: I am a horrible person. And, Ryner and Pidge were right about none of the younger paladins knowing. If we want to get technical, Shiro didn't even know because Haggar is hiding that from _him_.**

**I'm posting another chapter at the same time for two reasons. One, it's more laid-back than this chapter was, and it's from a mostly unknown (as far as I can tell) show so I decided to just throw it out.**

**Guest review responses!**

**Random Fan: Thank for the review! This is really just an excuse to play around with the characters that didn't get enough screentime. XD As for an idea, I'm all for it! As long as it's: 1-takes place with one main character and any number or form of minor characters (minor OC's of mine included) 2-doesn't rank as T and, of course, 3-includes some form of illness or injury. Also keep in mind that I work on _Little Ones_ on an "as inspired" basis, so it could take time to get to your request.**


	3. Underwater Haven (The Deep)

**A/N: Series: The Deep.**

**Synopsis: When Ant gets trapped on an underwater exploration, it'll be up to Jeffrey and his new dolphin friends to help him find a way out.**

**Notes: To be perfectly honest, I'd be more surprised if you were familiar with this show than I would be if everyone just went, "What is The Deep?" It's a pretty underrated show, I believe. That's probably due to forced tension and not very impressive villains (give poor Alpheus a break. As much as he tries, I don't think he really has an evil bone in his body.) But, I love the character interactions! Ant and Fontaine's sibling banter -cough-arguing-cough-, Finn's awkwardness about his "evil" family, and Will, Kaiko, and Hammerhead just being such proud parents. It's so much fun to watch!**

* * *

"Now that I think about it, this was a bad idea."

Hands out in front of him and one leg stuck uncomfortably in rocks, Ant was really starting to regret his solo expedition so early in the morning.

If he was lucky, his parents would wonder where he had gone and check the ship. If he was really lucky, they might notice that one of the Knights was missing and track it. If he was really, really lucky, that would all happen before the whole cavern decided to collapse on him.

"Jeffrey," Ant said nervously to his fish companion. "Why didn't I take the Swamp Knight?"

He knew, of course. The Swamp Knight wasn't nearly as quick and agile as the Shadow Knight that Ant preferred, but it would have such an easier time with the pile of rocks ready to collapse on top of him.

Jeffrey blew a nervous stream of bubbles and swam up to push against the rocks. Ant smiled at him.

"Thanks for the help," Ant said, laughing a bit at the fish's seeming pleased expression.

Ant studied the rocks that had lured him out alone. The family had noticed the glowing veins of yellow and blue the previous night, but his parents had insisted on waiting until morning to investigate the unfamiliar cavern.

Ant had waited until morning. Just barely. Was it his fault that excitement had woken him way before anyone else? He'd decided to get a head start on the studying. At least he'd gone in a Knight, Ant figured. The cavern had turned out to be extremely unstable, and had started to collapse when Ant had pulled out a rock sample that was apparently holding up the entire place.

Which was how Ant had ended up in his predicament. The Shadow Knight was holding up the wall, but just barely. The Knight's engine was getting overheated from constantly running to push against the stones. And in his scramble to catch the stones when they shifted, one of the legs had jammed into a gap and gotten stuck when the rocks settled.

"Shadow Knight to the Aronnax," Ant said. When all that he got was static, he glanced at Jeffrey. "I think the rocks must have damaged my comms. I sure hope nothing else is damaged…"

Jeffrey blew some bubbles.

"Don't worry, life support is still online," Ant assured his worried fish. "All we have to do is wait for everyone to notice I'm missing," Ant commented.

Ant passed a couple more minutes with idle, nervous chatter. Exactly how much earlier than the others had he gotten up? His father was an early riser, surely he would have noticed… no, not necessarily. Even people outside the family knew that Will could be slightly… oblivious at times. It would be up to his mother to notice that Ant hadn't started nagging to check out the cavern yet. Or Fontaine.

"Oh, please don't let it be Fontaine to find me," Ant pleaded to no one.

A slow beep started, distracting Ant from his thoughts. He looked at the in-suit screen and groaned when he saw that the engine was dangerously hot.

"Time to go, Jeffrey," Ant said.

Considering the fact that three of the Knight's limbs were all that was holding the wall up, Ant had preferred staying put over risking not being fast enough to get out of the cavern. But, it looked like the Knight had decided for him.

First off, free his leg. Bracing the Knight's arms, Ant jerked his leg. It moved a couple inches, then caught. Stone ground against stone as the wall settled further. Ant heard a distinct crunch. A rush of cold water against his leg warned him of what had happened before the Knight's alarm blared in his ear.

"Gah!" Ant yelped, jerking his head away from the speakers.

Ant looked down, feeling water rapidly filling the inside of the Knight. Locking the Knight's arms, Ant pulled his own arms free and scrambled to grab his re-breather.

He looked up, already feeling water around his waist, to make sure he knew in which direction to swim. His eyes widened at the sight of the entrance collapsing.

Another shift of stone dropped the Knight sharply into an angle. Ant slammed against the side of the compartment. He sputtered when water splashed into his face, but didn't have time to pause. He jammed the re-breather into his mouth, and slammed a hand on the eject button.

The compartment lid could only open halfway due to the boulder, so Ant had to squirm out. As he freed himself, the rock sample that had still been in the Knight's claw dropped. Ant automatically grabbed it, determined to at least get something out of getting stuck.

The wall ground again and dropped. The shifting was finally enough for the roof, which started to crack. Ant kicked quickly backward and treaded water as he spun around.

Between the glowing of the Knight and the walls, Ant was able to take stock of his grim situation. While he'd been freeing himself, the entrance had closed completely!

Ant spun around, trying not to panic. His eyes fell on the hole where the wall had broken away. There was a tunnel behind it! It could lead out!

Waving Jeffrey along, Ant swam toward the hole. Halfway there, Ant flinched away from a chunk of stone, then felt something large and heavy hit his back.

Ant was shoved down several feet before he was able to shove free and turn to see the boulder that had hit him. If it hadn't been for the water, he'd have been crushed! The thought vanished, though, as Ant put a hand to his mouth and discovered something else. His re-breather had fallen!

Before Ant could decide whether or not to risk searching for the re-breather, movement caught his eye. He beamed as Jeffrey swam up to him, re-breather held carefully in his mouth. Ant gratefully took it back and replaced it, trying not to cough as he swallowed the little bit of water that had ended up in his mouth.

Ant turned and swam away from the collapsing cavern. He pulled himself into the dark tunnel and moved as quickly as he could down the pitch-black tunnel until he couldn't feel the shaking. Only then did he dare pause.

Ant held up the dully-glowing rock sample. It didn't even provide enough light to see to his elbow, but it was a comfort. Especially when Jeffrey swam into the dim glow.

"_Okay, we're out of danger,_" Ant thought. "_Now we just have to find a way outside… in the dark… does this tunnel even lead out?"_

Shaking away the concerning thought, Ant forged onward. He only made it a couple feet before his head hit something. Reaching a hand out, Ant found a solid stone wall ending the tunnel.

Ant felt a surge of panic, but he determinedly pushed it aside. Panicking wouldn't help, only slow him down.

Ant carefully felt the walls around him, getting a better feel for the tunnel. It was tall enough that if he put his feet to the floor and stretched, he could barely touch the ceiling. The tunnel was wider than his arm span.

Ant turned to search for another tunnel he might have passed. He noticed a yellow and blue glow further back, though he knew there hadn't been any glowing rocks between the cavern and his location. His confusion only grew when he realized the glow was moving.

Ant backed away, then felt his back hit stone. Right, dead end. With no way to escape from whatever was coming his way, Ant clutched his stone more tightly and tensed.

The glow came closer, until, ten feet away from Ant, the boy was able to make out features on the glowing creatures. He nearly laughed before remembering and clenching his lips.

Two young dolphins clicked at Ant as they circled him curiously. Markings on their heads and sides were the cause of the glow, and were bright enough for Ant to see their whole form. One dolphin had blue markings, while the other had yellow.

"_Cool_!" Ant thought. "_Mum would love these guys!"_

The dolphins' presence also meant that there had to be some way outside! Dolphins couldn't breathe underwater, so they had to get outside somehow. As if on cue, the dolphins squeaked and turned to swim away.

_"Lead the way,"_ Ant thought.

Ant and Jeffrey followed the dolphins back the way they had come. Midway to the collapsed cavern, they turned into another tunnel that Ant had gone right by.

_"Score!"_

Ant followed the dolphins for several minutes. The tunnel twisted and turned, and often had other tunnels connected to it. If it hadn't been for his guides, Ant would have been quickly lost. Finally, the dolphins swam up a tunnel toward light, and the four of them burst into open air.

Except… it wasn't outside. Ant groaned in dismay when he saw that they had emerged into a cave with an air pocket. The glow was simply more glowing rocks.

Ant pulled out the re-breather and took a hesitant breath. Surprisingly, the air was fresh and cool, not stale like an underwater air pocket should have been.

"Where's the air coming from?" Ant asked aloud.

The blue-marked dolphin clicked.

"Right, I guess it doesn't matter to you guys where the air comes from," Ant said, shrugging "Well, this is good, but I have to get out of here." He lifted his communicator. "Ant to the Aronnax, does anyone hear me?"

A moment of silence passed, then Ant lowered his arm with a sigh. Either the communicator was damaged, or there was too much stone above him.

"Well, at least there's air here," Ant said gratefully. He studied his rebreather. "I've only got two hours to swim. As much as I'd love to explore these tunnels, how do you guys get out?"

The young dolphins clicked at him. Ant clicked back, making them squeal and bob in the water. Ant laughed as they ducked under the water and swam around him, then looked at Jeffrey.

"What do you think, Jeffrey? If I wait, maybe Dad or Mum can dig us out. Or, should we trying and find a new way out ourselves?"

Jeffrey blew some bubbles.

"Find our own way out!" Ant said, as if Jeffrey had spoken. "Great idea! Hey, what are you doing?"

The last part was addressed to the yellow-marked dolphin. It had started nibbling on Ant's rock sample. Ant pulled to the stone away and held it out of the water. He blinked and looked closer when he realized that some of the glow had vanished!

"Did you… just eat the rock?" Ant asked.

The dolphin clicked, revealing specks of yellow stuck in its mouth.

Ant studied the rock more closely. He scraped a nail on the glowing surface, causing some of the glow to flake off and fall into the water, where it was eagerly eaten by the young dolphins.

"It's not the rock that's glowing!" Ant said. "It must be some sort of bioluminescent algae. Woah, Mum is going to love this!"

It explained why the tunnels were so dark. The dolphins were so fond of the algae, they must have eaten it all. Although, that was a lot of algae for two little dolphins...

"How many of you are there in here?" Ant asked, starting to suspect that there was more than the curious pair in the tunnels.

The dolphins clicked and ducked under the water to swim away. Ant replaced his re-breather, then he and Jeffrey followed.

* * *

After a few more minutes of swimming, Ant caught sight of more glowing movement. He swam eagerly forward, then found himself emerging into an underwater cave to large for the young dolphins' glow to light up. Ant could tell that it was massive, though, from ten more dolphin glow-markings moving around.

One of the new dolphins moved closer, clicking. It was larger than the pair and had yellow markings.

The younger pair swam closer, squeaking excitedly. The trio swam in circles around each other, obviously happy. Ant wondered his companions were the elder's kids.

The blue-marked dolphin turned to Ant and clicked. The older dolphin swam closer and around Ant while the boy treaded water. After a couple circuits, the older dolphin stopped and squealed. Immediately, the other dolphins swam closer to swim around Ant as well.

_"I think I just got introduced to the family,"_ Ant thought with a grin.

Jeffrey, overwhelmed by the sudden company, wasn't as enthusiastic. He swam to hide under Ant's arm. A very young dolphin swam close to Jeffrey and squeaked. Jeffrey blew some bubbles, making the dolphin make excited clicking noises. Jeffrey hesitantly moved into the open. The dolphins clicked and turned to him, causing him to hide again.

After another couple minutes of "introductions," the dolphins began to swim up. Ant followed them, and was unsurprised when they emerged into an air pocket lit by algae.

Ant removed his re-breather. "You guys must live here, huh?"

The younger pair clicked. Ant clicked back, causing an excited burst of noise from the others. Ant laughed as the dolphins nudged him.

"Okay, okay, what did I say?"

Ant's smile faded a bit as he watched the dolphin family click to each other.

"My own family will be missing me," Ant told the young pair. "I need to get outside, to my family. Is there a way out?"

Ant held his breath as the dolphin pod clicked amongst each other. Dolphins were smart, but were they smart enough to recognize his request?

The parent dolphin swam in front of Ant and stopped, obviously inviting Ant to grab on. Ant hesitated, then shrugged.

"Have faith in the fish." Ant paused in putting his re-breather back. "Well, mammal."

Ant made sure Jeffrey was floating in the crook of his arm, then grabbed onto the offered dorsal fin and was pulled under the water.

The dolphin swam much faster than Ant ever could, even pulling Ant's weight. Aside from the dolphin's kids, the other dolphins were soon left behind. Ant was pulled into a new tunnel, where seaweed coated the tunnel floor. Small fish darted around in the seaweed and crevices in the tunnel walls.

Ant stared back at the seaweed and fish as he was pulled into another, empty tunnel. There was enough in the tunnel to feed the whole pod! No wonder they had taken up living inside the tunnels.

After several minutes, the dolphin pulled Ant to the surface of the water and clicked. Ant let go and studied the new air pocket.

It was about ten feet in diameter. The walls were worn smooth from the lapping water, except for a part of the roof where the water didn't reach. There was a slight glow coming from one wall.

Ant pulled out his re-breather. "Just stopping for some air?"

The three dolphins squeaked. The young yellow-marked dolphin bumped the glowing wall with its nose and clicked, urging Ant to swim closer.

Unlike the rest of the air pocket, there was a section of wall that wasn't solid. The glow wasn't coming from algae, Ant realized as he peered closer, but from gaps in the wall!

"This could be the way out, Jeffrey!" Ant exclaimed.

Ant put in his re-breather and ducked under the water. He felt along the crumbled wall for a larger gap. The crumbled area was about the size of the White Knight, but none of the gaps were bigger than Ant's fist.

Ant wriggled his hand into one of the larger gaps. The hole went straight, but it was hard to tell how thick it was besides being longer than his arm. He carefully extracted his hand, not wanting to get a limb stuck again.

Ant tugged and pushed at the stone, but it didn't budge. Ant groaned as he kicked furiously in the water, then had to give up and return to the surface.

"Is there any other way out?" Ant asked hopefully.

The adult dolphin squeaked and didn't move. Ant thought back to the mass of seaweed and fish, dread filling him as realization struck.

"You're all stuck in here, too?"

The younger dolphins squeaked, seeming none too concerned with their predicament. Who knew, maybe they'd spent their whole lives there. There was air, food, plenty of water, and no predators.

"Ant to the Aronnax, please come in!" Ant called.

Again, he got no response. Starting to get frightened, Ant replaced the re-breather and dove to shove at the stones anew. The dolphins even pitched in, but the effort didn't budge the stones.

When the dolphins had to surface, Ant slumped on the tunnel floor. He was stuck. How long would it take for his family to dig out the cavern and get him out? Ant loved the water and swimming, but he didn't want to be stranded away from his family!

Something tickled Ant's nose. Ant lifted his head to see Jeffrey batting him with his fins. The fish swam over to one of the larger gaps and floated beside it. Ant shook his head and returned to the surface to talk.

"I can't fit, Jeffrey," Ant said, exasperated at his fish friend. "I'm not as small as…" Ant beamed. "Wait, you can get Dad and Mum! They could clear out the stone with the Knights."

If a fish could smile, Jeffrey was sure doing it. Ant laughed.

"You're a genius! Okay, Jeffrey, fetch! Go get Dad and Mum!"

Jeffrey ducked under the water. Ant followed him to a gap and watched the fish squirm out of sight.

_"Be careful,"_ Ant thought.

Ant surfaced. The dolphin trio was waiting for him, and clicked curiously at him.

"Don't worry, guys," Ant said, grinning. "Jeffrey's going to bring help."

The dolphins squeaked, sharing Ant's excitement. Ant laughed. There were definitely worse ways to pass the time than with a bunch of friendly dolphins.

"I wonder if you're an undiscovered species," Ant mused, running a hand over glowing markings. "You guys will need a name!"

The dolphins clicked.

"Hm, glowing dolphins… How about…" Ant snapped his fingers. "Glophins!"

The dolphins fell silent, staring at Ant.

Ant shrugged. "No good? Yeah, not my best idea, but let's see you come up with better!"

The blue-marked dolphin squeaked.

"When we learn what that means in human words, I'll consider it," Ant allowed.

* * *

Time passed quickly as Ant played with the dolphins. He didn't dare leave the cave, but he was having the time of his life diving and splashing with the carefree mammals.

Ant was so distracted that it took him a moment to register the purple-and-yellow blur that swam in front of him. As soon as he did, though, he surface with a huge grin.

"Jeffrey!" Ant cupped his hands around the fish. "Did you get Dad and Mum?"

Jeffrey responded by diving. Ant and the dolphins followed him. Jeffrey swam out the gap, then back a moment later. At the same time, a bright light shined through the gap.

The dolphins squeaked and darted down the tunnel. Ant looked at them, then back to the gap. He looked down at his wrist communicator as it flashed slightly, wishing that he could talk to whoever was on the other end.

Ant stayed in front of the tunnel, hoping whoever was outside could see him. After a minute, he heard his mother's voice amplified from a Knight's external speakers.

"Kaiko to Ant, can you hear me?"

_"I hear you,"_ Ant thought.

Ant shoved his hand into the gap and stretched as far as he could go. Something smooth touched his fingertips, then he heard his mother.

"I see you, Ant! Are you okay?"

Ant gave her a thumbs-up.

"Is there another way out of there?"

Ant turned his thumb down.

"Okay, Ant, we'll get you out," Will said, also over a Knight's speakers. "Can you move back?"

Ant gave an eager thumbs-up and pulled away. He ducked down into the tunnel with Jeffrey, where the dolphins waited.

_"They don't like the light,"_ Ant realized._ "Maybe they have spent their whole lives down here, in the dim light."_

"Will to Ant, we're coming in!"

Scraping filled the tunnel. Ant braced himself against the wall, silently cheering as light flooded the cave. He turned to the dolphins, who were acting uncomfortable in the bright light.

_"Go on, you guys,"_ Ant thought, running a hand over their heads. _"My family can take it from here."_

The elder dolphin clicked and swam away. The younger pair squeaked and nudged Ant before swimming away more slowly. Ant waved at them, then turned up to watch his parents' progress.

After a few minutes, Kaiko called to Ant to come out. Ant and Jeffrey swam into the cave, where they found half the crumbled section cleared out. Ant eagerly swam out, where he was greeted by his parents, his dad in the Swamp Knight and his mother in the White Knight.

"Ant!" Kaiko exclaimed, taking Ant gently in the Knight's arms. "Are you alright?"

Ant smiled and nodded, then threw in a thumbs-up for good measure. Kaiko's relief was clear on her face through the clear dome of the Knight. Still holding Ant, she moved slowly to the surface of the ocean.

"The prodigal son returns," said Fontaine's voice.

Ant looked up and saw that she was leaning over the side of the speedboat. While her statement was teasing, Ant could see the relief on her face as well.

Will opened the dome of his Knight. "What happened? We had just realized that you and the Shadow Knight were missing, then Jeffrey appeared in the Moon Pool alone. He led us all the way here."

Ant removed his re-breather. "Well… remember that cavern last night?"

Ant's family made a collective noise of realization. Fontaine, Ant noticed, was smirking.

"Yeah, there. Anyway, the cavern collapsed, and Jeffrey and I were trapped in an underwater tunnel system that we found," Ant explained. He looked at Kaiko excitedly. "I think we discovered a new species of dolphin! I call them… glophins!"

"You're deluded," Fontaine informed him, reaching a hand down.

"They weren't fond of the name, either," Ant admitted as his mother raised him out of the water. With Fontaine's help, Ant scrambled into the boat, still talking. "But the point is, they glowed! And, the whole pod is trapped down there, but I think it must have happened a long time ago. They didn't like the bright lights."

"Glowing dolphins?" Kaiko repeated. "That's incredible."

"Yeah, it's because of the algae that they eat," Ant explained, holding out the rock sample for his mother to take. "Hey, did you bring the Jorange?"

Fontaine handed over the mobile fish tank. Ant positioned it so Jeffrey could hop inside, then smiled at the fish.

"Jeffrey's a hero!"

"Why didn't you dig your way out?" Fontaine asked. "The Shadow Knight should…"

Ant winced as Fontaine trailed off.

"Ant," Kaiko said. "Where's the Shadow Knight?"

"Um… still buried in the cavern," Ant said, shrinking in on himself.

Kaiko and Will exchanged looks, seeming more bemused than upset.

"We'll have some digging to do, then you'll be helping put the Shadow Knight back into commission," Kaiko said. "Until then, no using the Knights, got it?"

"Yes, Mum," Ant said sheepishly.

Kaiko gave him a smile. "I'm just glad you're alright."

Ant leaned to the side and dared to request, "Could we block up the tunnel again? The dolphins seem pretty happy to be alone in the dark."

Kaiko nodded. "We can."

"I'll make it so that they can push the rocks out of the way if food or space become an issue," Will added.

"Great!" Ant said. "They know that the tunnel leads out, so they'll be able to figure out how to get outside if they need to!"

"And there are dolphin lovers at a nearby island," Fontaine said. "They can keep an eye on the dolphins."

Ant grinned at his family's quickly formed plans. Will closed his dome and ducked out of sight, while Fontaine started up the speedboat. Kaiko drifted alongside them.

"Along the way, why don't you tell me about the dolphins' home?" Kaiko suggested.

Ant eagerly agreed, rapidly launching into descriptions of the tunnels and seaweed beds as the Nektons headed for the Aronnax.


	4. Yupper Pup (V:LD)

**A/N: I've had a couple suggestions for shows/books to try. While I appreciate the suggestions (I've looked into both before, actually) I don't have the time to try and add another fandom to my list. Sorry!**

** Series: Voltron**

**Synopsis: Lance, alone and injured, is found and immediately adopted by a yupper pack.**

**Notes: This story actually was intended to be the first story in this series, because it's where I got the name for the series. It takes place between seasons four and five. Many of the scenes were inspired by Seventh Brother, an adorable movie where a family of rabbits adopt a lost puppy.**

* * *

The pack was a relatively small one, consisting of only seven yuppers. An older, white-and-brown furred male led the pack and made brawny male yuppers with matching brown fur were the protectors of the group. A smaller, tan female kept an eye on the two young pups, one light-furred female and a creamy white male. An old female with greying ends to her brown fur still mothered the grown yupper brothers.

None of the pack had name. None spoken, at least. All was "said" in grunts, the wide variety of meanings behind the word "yep," and gestures, the yuppers having no discernible language of words. Silently, the pack members were thought of as Alpha, Howl, Quiet, Gentle, Bright, Soft, and Mother, respectively.

Each day, the pack wandered peacefully through the forests that made their home. They foraged for berries, roots, and fat fish that drifted in the shallows of the streams they crossed, and spent nights in comfy clearings. On the rare occasion that danger should arise, Alpha, Howl, and Quiet were fierce defenders of their family.

One evening, the pack settled down in Alpha's chosen site. The day had been rainy and humid, so Alpha chose a more enclosed spot than usual. The leafy covering had kept the spot relatively dry.

Gentle wasted no time in nudging Bright and Soft into the driest section she could find. Mother grumbled and kept looking at the steep hillside bordering one side of the site, obviously worried about mudslides, until Quiet coaxed her to a dry nest as far from the hillside as he could find. Howl prowled around the pack until Quiet grabbed his brother's tail with gentle jaws. Howl gave a small growling howl that had earned him his name, but Quiet only tugged him closer. Mother snagged Howl with her paws and tugged him to the ground with surprising strength. She then proceeded to groom the yupper's tangled fur, despite his grunts of protest.

Alpha watched his pack settle down, bearing his teeth in a canine smile. He circled the site, quite pleased with his choice, and settled down near Gentle with a content "yup". Curling his body around their pups, Alpha closed his eyes and relaxed.

A tick later, his eyes snapped open at the sound of rustling. His head jerked up and he peered up the hillside. Something was moving down the hill, fast.

Howl leaped up with a growl. Alpha followed suit, but silently. Gentle was already prodding the pups away when the rustling became louder. Before the pack could move, something came tumbling down the hillside and smack into the pups.

Alpha growled fiercely and bounded forward to snatch up Soft. Gentle grabbed Bright, and the parents retreated.

The object didn't move. It was covered in mud and oddly shaped. Alpha set Soft down and cautiously approached the thing. He nudged it with a paw, wondering if it was just a rock or branch.

As Alpha's paw made contact, some of the mud was scraped away. Under the mud, the object was hard and colored blue. A slight motion became noticeable as breathing in the object. It was alive!

More curious than nervous -the beast was barely bigger than Soft- Alpha curled a paw around it and pulled back. The beast flopped limply, four limbs splaying, without making any noises of consciousness. Alpha picked up a faint scent of blood. He -scent told Alpha the beast was male- must have slipped in the mud and gotten hurt.

Distant crashing and harsh noises had Alpha's head jerking back up. Either something big or multiple smaller beasts were rapidly approaching.

Alpha moved closer to the pack, who was already headed away. They'd have to find a new place to spend the night.

Alpha's eyes ran over the pack, then he realized that one of them was missing. Turning, he saw that Mother had gone over to the beast. Rumbling, Alpha returned to her and tried to push her after the others.

Mother snapped her teeth, making him leap back. Mother turned back to the beast and pawed away the mud until his head and body was discernible. Then, very gently, Mother grabbed the beast's hard skin on the back of his neck. She picked him up, and turned to Alpha with a challenging gleam in her eyes.

Danger would be there soon. There would be no budging Mother without the strange beast, the pack knew that. With a resigned "yup," Alpha led Mother back to the rest of the pack.

The pack tried to hurry away from the crashing, but Mother was moving slowly with her awkward load. The beast's hind legs didn't curl up like a pup's when being carried, so his legs dragged on the ground.

Finally, Howl got tired of their slow pace. He bounded from his place at the rear to Mother. Alpha watched the pair. Mother could get fierce if Howl tried to make her leave the beast, and they couldn't let themselves be slowed.

Instead, Howl surprised the pack by carefully taking the beast. With his bigger size and greater strength, Howl simply had to tip his head back and he could move just as swiftly as before.

With the new formation, the pack picked up speed. Alpha led the pack in a twisting path through the forest, across streams, and up rocks. It wasn't long before the sounds of danger faded completely, and Alpha was confident in their safety enough to stop. He found a secluded copse of trees and "yup"ed confidently.

Howl set down his load, which gave a low moan. Mother butted Howl away and curled her body around the beast.

Bright, ever curious, squirmed away from Gentle's paws and padded over to sniff the odd beast. She yelped happily when the beast lifted a wavering paw and put it on her head. A tick later, the hand slipped limply back to the ground. Bright nudged the paw, but the beast didn't respond.

Mother pushed Bright aside and started cleaning the beast's filthy skin. Underneath all the mud, the beast had blue-and-white skin that was hard like a beetle's body. There were softer, thinner spots of black on his joints and middle. His face was soft and pale, closed eyes half-covered by a clear, hard skin.

Once the beast was clean, Mother tucked him against her furry body and laid her head across his back. It was obvious to the pack that Mother had adopted the odd little beast as her pup and, well, no one was going to try and convince her otherwise.

Without any sort of signal or discussion, the beast no longer nameless and lost. He was Little One -the name given to all pups until they showed a characteristic to become their name- and he was part of the pack.

* * *

The night passed uneventfully. The pack was awakened by Bright's excited yelping.

Little One had woken and was sitting up against Mother, who watched him carefully. Bright rubbed him with her head and batted him softly with her paws.

Little One made a happy sound and said something in his language that the pack didn't understand. He tried to stand on his hind paws, but lost his balance and fell back against Mother. He grumbled, and Mother gave him a soothing lick.

By then, Soft was ready to investigate the new pack member. He crept out from behind Gentle and up to Little One. He was rewarded with a pat on the head, and it wasn't long before he and Bright were eagerly sniffing the newcomer.

Alpha approached the group. Bright and Soft made way for him, and Little One looked curiously up at him. He didn't act frightened or dangerous. Alpha sniffed him and gave an approving "yup."

Little One made another pleased sound and mimicked Alpha's "yup."

Alpha grunted and left Mother and the pups.

* * *

By the time the sun was right above them, Little One regained his balance enough to stand. Soft stayed at his side, allowing Little One to put a forepaw on his back to remain steady. The pair made their slow way among the pack under Mother's watchful eyes.

Alpha howled shortly to announce they were leaving their sleeping site. Gentle gathered up Bright from her wandering nearby, and Mother joined Soft and Little One. Howl and Quiet flanked the group and Alpha led them.

Following his nose, Alpha found a large clump of berry bushes. The pack dispersed to munch on the juicy blue berries.

Little One wriggled into the bushes, hard skin seemingly protecting him from the thorny plants. He emerged a later, smiling widely and holding giant, plump berries in his paws. He fed the berries to Soft and Mother, then returned to the bushes to get more for the rest of the pack.

After four trips, Little One was panting hard and sat down. Soft whined and laid beside him. Little One reached up and removed what turned out to be a shell-like covering for his head. On his head, Little One had a small patch of brown fur the same color as the yupper brothers.

Mother plopped down beside him and busily got to work licking his hair, which was matted with sweat and dried blood. Little One briefly tried to squirm away, then settled down in Mother's firm hold. He had a mopey expression, just like a pup stuck being groomed.

Once everyone had their fill and Little One was cleaned to Mother's satisfaction, Alpha signaled that it was time to go. Quiet left first, silently passing through the brush as he scouted ahead. The others fell into their normal spots, though less bunched.

The pack wandered through the forest at a leisurely pace. They had no destination in mind, so there was no need to rush.

Bright and Soft ran after leaves and tumbled together, but Little One simply walked beside Mother. While he watched and made his happy noise, he didn't join the other pups.

In fact, he left Mother's side only a couple times, to venture briefly into the bushes. The first time, Soft tried to follow Little One, but was shoved out with scolding words none of the pack understood. They did, however, figure out the cause for Little One's shyness, and let him be the following instances.

Quiet returned as the sky was getting dark. Alpha let him lead to a sheltered spot of soft grass and a nearby stream.

Mother chose her spot and laid down. Little One immediately dropped beside her, contrary to Bright and Soft investigating every corner of their site.

It didn't take long for Soft to notice Little One's absence. He bounded over to Little One and "yup"d curiously. Little One patted him, but he whimpered and held his head. Soft whined and pressed his head to Little One's chest.

Alpha padded up to the trio. Soft shifted out of the way, and Little One lifted his head with a tiny whimper. Alpha sniffed him, but couldn't smell any blood or cause of pain. Alpha gave a questioning "yup." Little One said something in his language and touched his head.

Alpha "yup"d, and Little One repeated the noise. Alpha couldn't figure out the cause of Little One's distress, and it worried him. He was supposed to watch over the pack, but how could he help Little One if he didn't know what was wrong?

Mother grumbled at Alpha and tucked her paws around Little One. She started licking him again. He raised his paws in playful protest, cheerful once again.

Alpha left them alone, going to Gentle. His caring mate looked from Alpha to Little One, then went to Bright rolling in the leaves. She nudged her and "yup"d.

Bright leaped to her paws and snatched up a branch from the ground. She then ran to Little One and shoved the branch into his paws.

Little One looked at the branch and slowly raised it. Bright bounced back and forth, and Soft jumped up to join her. Little One tossed the branch a short way, and the pup siblings raced to the branch. They wrestled together until Bright separated with the branch and ran back to Little One with it. Little One tossed the branch again, making his happy noise as Bright bowled over Soft in the race to get it.

Alpha watched the pups playing, noticing how much Little One's attitude improved. Maybe the pup was just lonely, missing his own pack. Yuppers didn't like to be separated from the pack.

Alpha decided they would search for Little One's missing pack.

* * *

Little One was slow to wake when the sun rose again, but he was quick to stand when the rest of the pack got ready to move. Soft went to his side when he acted unsteady, and the pack headed out.

Alpha turned the wandering pack's path back in the direction that they had found Little One. Once again, Quiet vanished into the forest. He knew Alpha's intentions, and would be searching for signs of a pack that could be Little One's.

Alpha led the pack slowly behind Quiet, letting Mother set the pace to suit Little One. The pup was acting better, but there was still no reason to rush.

The pack had just settled down for a rest beside a stream, when Alpha noticed a scent. Howl noticed it at the same time, and howled a warning. Bright and Soft ran immediately to Gentle, and Mother pulled a confused Little One to her.

Something crashed in the brush across the stream, then a massive fangbeast reared up with a roar. It was a mottled green color, and even bigger than Alpha. Dangerous fangs protruded from its mouth.

Alpha growled a warning. Yuppers didn't like to fight, but they could. Although, with Quiet scouting, Alpha and Howl would have a hard time scaring off the fangbeast.

The fangbeast didn't hesitate. It hurtled the stream in one leap and crashed into Alpha. Flat on his back, Alpha snarled and swiped his claws at the fangbeast's face. The fangbeast dodged the blows and opened its mouth.

Howl came to Alpha's rescue. He leaped into the fangbeast, digging his claws into its side. The fangbeast bellowed and slashed at Howl with its own dangerous claws, catching Howl across his muzzle. Howl fell back, giving his unique howl in pain.

Alpha squirmed free in the distraction and leaped between Howl and the fangbeast, raising his forepaws threateningly. The fangbeast growled and tensed to leap, then a blur of bright light flying between them made all three beasts leap back.

Alpha looked quickly in the direction from which the lightblur had come. Little One was crouched on a low branch of a tree. Mother, Gentle, Bright, and Soft were higher in various branches, and Mother was howling at Little One in distress.

Little One held a stumpy object the same color as his skin in his forepaws. While Alpha watched, another lightblur flew from the object to pass between Alpha and the fangbeast. Little One roared in his puny voice.

Alpha turned back to the fangbeast and added his own roar. The fangbeast was backing away, deterred by the two angry yuppers and lightblurs. Alpha relaxed briefly, but too soon.

The fangbeast leaped forward, knocking Alpha and Howl aside. Alpha scrambled back to his paws and spun to see the fangbeast run into Little One's tree with its head.

Little One yelped as he tumbled off of his branch and to the ground. He grumbled as he sat up, then howled when he saw the fangbeast towering over him.

Before Alpha, Howl, or the fangbeast could move, Quiet burst out of the bushes. Mouth gaping in a silent yowl, Quiet collided with the fangbeast hard enough to send them both tumbling backwards head over tails. Howl leaped to his brother's aid, and Alpha ran to stand protectively in front of Little One.

The fangbeast kicked Quiet away and made to stand, but Howl had his jaws latched onto its paw. He jerked the fangbeast off balance. The fangbeast roared and swiped its free paw at Howl, who leaped away. Quiet joined him, and the brothers slashed at the fangbeast's face and paws until it finally gave a snarl of defeat and limped quickly off.

As soon as the fangbeast was gone, Mother leaped to the ground and nuzzled Little One. The pup patted her and made comforting noises, seemingly uninjuried. Mother promptly began grumbling beratingly at him for putting himself in danger.

Alpha "yup"d proudly at the yupper brothers. Little One pushed himself away from Mother to stand on slightly unsteady paws. He went to Quiet and wrapped his paws around his neck, crooning something into his fur.

Little One rubbed gently at Quiet's fur, pausing when he reached Quiet's chin. Parting the fur, Little One made a startled noise when he saw the old scar across Quiet's chin and neck.

The scar was from long ago, from a fight with another fangbeast. The fight had taken his old name of Yowl and changed it to Quiet, as the yupper hadn't made a sound since.

Little One crooned again and turned to look past Quiet. He started a bit upon seeing the blood on Howl's face. Little One ran to Howl and tugged on his paw until he followed Little One to the stream.

Startling the pack once again, Little One removed a black covering from a forepaw. Underneath, the skin was pale and smooth.

Little One dipped the paw covering into the water, then used the wet covering to wipe the blood from Howl's fur. Howl teasingly ducked away from the covering, and Little One spoke firmly in his language. Howl bowed his head and let Little One work.

Meanwhile, Alpha had been helping his mate and pups from the tree. Soft immediately ran to Little One and sniffed him over. Little One made his happy sound and patted Soft. Mother went to inspect Little One's work, then "yup"d approvingly.

Alpha gathered his pack again, and they set off.

* * *

The pack stopped early that night. The pack knew the reason, and it worried them.

Little One was getting worse.

He'd been fine at first after the fight, but his pace had slowed steadily until he was barely shuffling his paws through the brush. His hind paw had caught on a root, and only Soft's quick reaction had kept him from falling. Mother had put Little One on her back and traveled on all fours until Alpha found a suitable sleeping site.

Alpha looked at Little One, curled up in a miserable ball between Mother's forepaws. Soft squirmed beside Little One. The odd pup smiled, but whimpered the next tick and held his head tighter.

Soft poked and chewed on the head shell until Little One took it off. Since the pack had seen that Little One had a shell for his head and paws, it was less surprising when the rest of the blue-and-white shell was slowly removed from his legs and paws. He set them in a careful pile to one side.

Next, Little One grabbed the big shell around his middle and struggled to pull it over his head. Soft stood up and helped remove the shell, then carried it to set beside the rest of Little One's shells.

Now with just his black and pale skin -the pack wondered if that was really his skin though- Little One was even smaller -his body wasn't even as thick as Alpha's leg- but more relaxed. He fell into a restless sleep, twitching and whimpering on occasion.

Alpha turned to the Quiet. The silent yupper bobbed his head and ran off in the direction the pack had been heading. Alpha then moved on to reassure his pack. Little One's illness scared them, but he would recover with sleep.

At least, that's what Alpha wanted.

* * *

Alpha didn't go to sleep when it got dark, so he immediately noticed when Quiet ran into the camp near sunrise. The rest of the pack -Little One was the only one sleeping- rose and looked eagerly at Quiet.

Quiet wriggled in an unusual show of excitement. He gestured with a forepaw for the others to follow. Alpha "yup"d.

Mother nudged Little One. He moved slightly, but didn't wake up. Mother dropped all fours, and Soft and Gentle carefully moved Little One onto her back. When he still didn't rouse, Soft kept by Mother's side. Bright and Gentle gathered Little One's shells in their paws. Soft firmly took the head shell and returned to his position. Quiet took the lead, while Alpha and Howl flanked the group.

Luckily, while the pace was slow, the pack didn't encounter any danger. Little One woke up when the sun rose, but didn't try to walk on his own. Instead, he laid on Mother's back and murmured to Soft in his language.

A bit later, Alpha's ears pricked at a sound that was similar to Little One's language. He turned in the direction until the others in the pack could detect the sound.

Soft stopped abruptly. Alpha stopped the pack and looked back at the pup. Soft whined, turning his head in the direction of the sounds, then back to Little One. He whined louder and backed away. He didn't want to take Little One to his pack.

Alpha was about to go to him when Mother curled her tail around Soft and pulled him closer. She "yup"d softly, feeling the same as Soft. Little One was _her_ pup, and no one took a yupper pup from its mother. But Little One was sick, and the yupper pack couldn't help him if he didn't get better on his own. His only chance was with his own pack.

Soft understood Mother's meaning from her single "yup" and gentle actions. He lowered his head and whined. Little One said something softly, probably sensing the sad mood. Soft lifted his head and gently licked Little One's face, causing him to make the happy sound briefly. Soft gave a tiny "yup."

The pack moved silently on.

* * *

The sound of Little One's language grew louder, but Little One didn't seem to notice at first. When they were close enough to scent, Little One sat quickly up. He yelped, but remained upright, eyes trained on the direction of the sounds.

Alpha could tell that there were four beasts calling. It was the same set of sounds over and over. Little One's name?

Howl gave a mighty howl, and the beasts fell silent. Little One's face fell. Alpha "yup"d Howl scoldingly and urged the pack to stay back. If Little One's pack was as scrawny as him, they might be scared off by the larger yuppers.

One by one, Gentle, Bright, Howl, and Quiet went to Little One and touched his paw with their own. Gentle and Bright dropped the shells. Alpha repeated the motion himself, then faded into the shadows with the other four. It had been silently decided that Mother and Soft would bring Little One to his pack, though the older males would be sure to stay close.

Little One called to his pack in his small voice. A voice, startled and unsure, responded. Little One called louder, then Alpha heard clumsy pawsteps coming closer.

An even smaller version of Little One -though this one's shell marked with green instead of blue- stumbled out of the bushes and froze at the sight of the two yuppers. A bigger, black-marked beast came into view, pausing as well.

Little One called happily to them, and the green one said something in an angry tone. Little One answered in a mocking tone.

The little pair was joined by two more, these marked in yellow and pink. The yellow one -having a broader build more like a yupper- stretched his paws wide with a loud call.

Little One struggled to slide off Mother's back. Soft helped him down, but Little One was still so unsteady that he fell.

The yellow beast immediately moved forward. Soft growled at him, making him stop, until Little One spoke soothingly to him. Little One waved a paw, and the yellow one moved carefully forward until he crouched beside Little One and Soft.

Little One started talking to the yellow-marked beast, until he suddenly stopped and put a paw to his head. The yellow one made sounds of distress and put a paw on him.

Mother gave a soft sigh and licked Little One's head. The pup yelped happily and hugged her jaw. Mother gently pulled away and plodded into the woods.

The yellow-marked beast lifted his forepaws carefully and put them beside Little One, obviously asking permission. Soft pressed his head to Little One's chest, feeling small paws stroke his head. Soft pulled back and gave a soft "yup." He then turned and bounded away to join the rest of his pack.

When Soft turned back around, Little One was already being carried swiftly away by the yellow-marked one. His colorful pack swarmed around him, yelping and grumbling anxiously. Little One apparently ignored them as he waved a paw at the watching yupper pack.

Six farewell howls filled the forest as the pack's odd little packmember disappeared from view; sad, but happy that Little One was home. And hopeful that he would return.

* * *

**A/N: I had to keep reminding myself while writing this that Lance is _not_ five. XD**

**In case anyone is wondering: The paladins got separated during a blown mission. They took so long to locate Lance because Hunk was severely injured during the escape. Since trackers told the team that Lance was still moving and his vitals were fairly stable, Hunk took priority. Plus, Pidge's tracker went off-line, so they were also occupied in finding her. **

**Guest review responses!**

**Random Fan: (Ch.2) Yeah, season eight had to have the most random things thrown into it. I think they tried for way too many things, to be honest. I'll take suggestions for any of the fandoms I've already written for. Pleasure to respond to one of my constant readers! (Ch. 3) The Deep a really random show, but it's lots of fun!**

**ANONYMOUS READER: Thanks! Unfortunately, while I have seen and gotten curious about Yu-Gi-Oh!, I don't have time to try it out.**

**READER: Hey. Here it is.**


	5. Kitten Sneezes in the Alley (ML)

**A/N: **

**Series: Miraculous Ladybug**

**Synopsis: Chat Noir falls ill, and collapses while on patrol. He is found by Tom and Sabine, who decide to care for him until Ladybug can help.**

* * *

Chat couldn't remember the last time he'd been so tired.

Perched on the roof of the school, Chat wondered why he had even bothered leaving the house. Between long hard days as the school year was wrapping up and three akumatizations that week, Chat was dragging. Even Plagg had been lacking his usual attitude that day.

Transforming usually helped when he was tired or feeling a bit off, but this time it had only caused a headache that he had yet to shake. Add the fact that he'd been sneezing a lot in the last hour, and his head was pounding.

Heaving a sigh, Chat let himself sprawl on the roof. He pressed his face to the cool metal and contemplated heading home.

The only reason he had made himself come out, was because Ladybug had told him a few nights prior that she couldn't make it out to patrol that night. Figuring it would be a good idea to have someone patrol anyway, Adrien had ditched his homework for an early patrol in the hopes of getting a good night's sleep and deal with the homework over the weekend.

Now, it was barely eight in the evening, and Chat was exhausted.

"Might as well head home," Chat mumbled, voice raspy. He sneezed, accidentally smacking his face on the roof. "In just a little bit…"

Chat lifted his head with a start. He stared blearily around, then checked the time on his baton. He sighed when he realized that he'd been on the roof for over an hour.

"Now I really have to get home," Chat sighed. "Plagg is never going to let me hear the end of this."

Chat stood, then nearly fell when everything started spinning. He quickly extended his baton and leaned against it.

"Can somebody stop the roof, please?" Chat joked, closing his eyes. "I need to get off."

Once he felt balanced again, Chat opened his eyes. An abrupt sneeze sent him staggering backward, but he managed to stay upright. He briefly wondered if he should just walk home, but that would be awkward explaining why Paris' superhero was walking. And de-transforming and going home as Adrien would probably be worse, if the wrong people saw him.

"By roof it is," Chat said aloud.

He jogged across the roof and leaped, using his baton to catapult across the street. His landing was less than graceful as his legs gave out. He tumbled across the roof, narrowly stopping himself from rolling over the edge.

So much for always landing on his feet.

"Let's try this again," Chat said with a chuckle.

Chat managed to cover a couple blocks with minimal difficulty. He was feeling quite proud of himself, until he realized that he saw the school across the street. He'd gone in a circle? He threw up his hands with a groan of frustration and spun on his heel.

Bad move.

The next thing Chat knew, he was staring at the night sky. He blinked a couple times before realizing that he had fallen onto his back. He sat up slowly, closing his eyes until the returning dizziness faded.

Once Chat could stand again, he decided going home on foot would probably be easier. It wasn't like it was mid-day, anyway. No one would notice.

With that decided, Chat looked at where he had landed for the first time.

He was on a semi-familiar balcony, with a trapdoor leading into the building. Potted plants cluttered the floor, and ivy trailed along the balcony railing. A chair in the corner was tempting him to stop and sit, but Chat knew that if he stopped, he wouldn't want to get going again.

"Ah-_choo_!"

Chat clamped his hands over his mouth. He stared at the trapdoor, expecting someone to rush out at any second. When no one appeared, Chat relaxed.

Chat made himself go to the balcony's edge. He peered over and saw lights on in the building, so that way held the risk of being noticed. He moved along the edge of the balcony, keeping an eye on the trapdoor as he did, then climbed from the balcony to the roof.

That was when it went downhill, both literally and figuratively.

Halfway to the roof's peak, a sneeze sent Chat's head spinning all over again. He tumbled head over heels, fingers skimming the roof's edge before he found himself in free-fall.

Instinctively, Chat flipped his feet under him, but that was as far as he got before he crashed into something hard with a large clatter.

Chat didn't move from his landing spot. Although, "crash site" might have been a more fitting term. Something was digging into his back, but Chat didn't feel like moving. Didn't feel like keeping his eyes open, either. Chat briefly wondered if he'd hit his head too hard, then ignored the thought and went ahead with closing his eyes. Maybe a quick cat nap would make him feel better…

The sound of a door opening nearby caught Chat's attention, but it wasn't enough to make him want to open his eyes. He laid still, hoping he could go unnoticed and slip away once whoever it was had left, when his nose decided otherwise for him.

"Ah-_choo_!"

Heavy footsteps approached him. "What the-" a voice said.

"Don' min' me," Chat mumbled. "Jus' gotta take a quick…"

Chat couldn't finish before giving up on consciousness.

* * *

A sudden crash and clanging from outside made Tom and Sabine jump. They turned away from the TV to stare out the window. They were alone in the house, since Marinette was spending the night at Alya's.

"What was that?" Sabine eventually asked.

"Sounds like something getting into our trash cans," Tom said, standing. "Probably a stray cat. I'll go check."

"Be careful, Tom," Sabine said worriedly.

"No alley cat's got the best of Tom Dupain-Cheng yet!"

"Oh, Tom," Sabine said with a fond shake of her head as Tom strutted out of the room.

Once he reached ground level, Tom grew more serious. While it probably was just a stray, it could also be someone trying to break in. Although, after that racket, they would likely be long gone. Still, it didn't hurt to be cautious.

Hand on the doorknob to the back alley, Tom reached to the side and grabbed the nearest object, which turned out to be a baguette. Shrugging, Tom held up the bread and slowly opened the door.

Peering outside, Tom found the trash cans scattered across the alley. He didn't see the cause and was ready to head back inside, confident that the intruder had been scared off, when a sneeze from within the mess caught his attention.

He crept cautiously forward, then lowered the baguette in shock when he saw none other than Chat Noir hidden behind the garbage cans.

"What the…"

The cat-themed hero was sprawled on his back in an incredibly uncomfortable looking position. His head was on the ground, while his back was arched up from a can lid under him. Luckily for him, the cans had been emptied recently, or he would have been in a really smelly predicament.

Chat Noir's eyes were shut, causing Tom to wonder if he'd been hurt in a fight. It had been a busy week for Ladybug and Chat Noir, after all. He checked the sky and alley, but there weren't any signs of an akumatized villain.

"Don' min' me," Chat Noir suddenly mumbled. He made a few other noises that might have been words and shifted his body, then laid still again.

Slowly, Tom knelt for a closer look at the unconscious hero. Though it was hard to tell behind the mask and hair, he thought the hero's face was rather pale aside from flushed red cheeks.

"Tom?"

Tom started at Sabine's voice, then he turned to give a reassuring smile to his wife peeking out from the bakery. She stepped closer to see over Tom's shoulder.

Instantly, Sabine's worry turned to maternal concern. She knelt on Chat's other side and carefully swept back his sweaty bangs. She gave a slight gasp at the heat radiating from his forehead.

"He's burning up!" Sabine said.

Tom looked around the alley again, wondering how he had gotten there and where Ladybug was. Shouldn't she have noticed her partner's illness or absence by then?

But, Tom's search found nothing again. He was trying to decide what to do next -it wasn't like he could call up Ladybug, after all- when Sabine spoke up firmly.

"We can't leave him here."

"Of course not," Tom said, next course of action decided in an instant. "Let's get him inside."

Tom and Sabine moved the trashcans aside, then Tom crouched to scoop up the man.

Except...

Tom stopped and peered more closely at Chat. He'd always thought the pair of heros to be adults -Sabine had her own suspicions that they weren't even human- but the hero on the ground was so small and thin-limbed. Kind of ungainly still.

"He's just a child," Sabine gasped. "He can't be any older than our Marinette."

Tom's brow creased, but he shook off his confusion for another time. He moved his large hands under the boy's body and lifted him with ease. He was light, too!

Chat shifted and mumbled at being moved, but he didn't rouse. He turned his face into Tom's chest, gave a weary sigh, then stilled.

Tom, who had frozen when Chat started moving, relaxed. He and Sabine smiled at each other, then they made their quiet way inside. When they reached their living room, Tom bent down to lay Chat on the couch, when he paused again at an odd sound.

A soft rumbling was coming from Chat, sounding incredibly like he was… purring. It wasn't so far-fetched, Tom thought, but it was still unusual and rather cute.

Smiling wider, Tom set Chat carefully on the couch. This got another sigh and ended the purring, but Chat still didn't wake up.

Sabine came behind Tom and set their medical kit on the table. Opening the box, she took out a thermometer and pried open Chat's mouth enough to poke it inside. She held it there for a minute, until Chat sneezed it onto the floor. Sabine picked the thermometer up and checked it.

"He has a fever," she confirmed.

"What should we do?" Tom asked, staring down at the boy. "Take him to the hospital?"

"The fever isn't dangerously high. He should be fine with sleep," Sabine mused. "What was he doing out there if he was sick, though?"

Tom shrugged. Sabine wandered back into the kitchen and grabbed a towel to get it damp. She then went to Chat and started wiping his sweaty forehead. Chat started purring again, and leaned into the cool towel.

"If only we had some way to contact Ladybug or get her attention," Tom said. "Know any angry people?"

"Tom, don't joke about those things," Sabine said without looking at him.

Chat sneezed. He gave a small whine without waking up, and shifted his head away from Sabine. The woman frowned and pull a calming hand on his shoulder. Chat continued to shift restlessly around before curling his body into as much of a ball as his spine would allow.

"We can't keep him here," Tom eventually said. "Someone has to be looking for him."

"Maybe Marinette's friend, Alya, would know where Ladybug is," Sabine said.

"If anyone knows, it would be Alya," Tom admitted. "I'll call Marinette."

Tom went to the kitchen while Sabine tried to coax Chat Noir out of his tight position so she could continue wiping his forehead. Marinette answered on the first ring.

"Dad?"

"It's me," Tom said, automatically adding, "Did you and Alya get your studying done?"

"Yes, Dad," Marinette said with a laugh. "We're going to ace that test on Monday!"

"I'm proud of you," Tom said, smiling. "Listen, have there been any akuma attacks tonight?"

"No? Did something happen?" Marinette asked, voice rising in worry.

"No, nothing bad," Tom quickly assured her. "We just found a lost Chat in the alley, and we thought Ladybug might be able to help."

"Uh…" Marinette stammered something, before getting out, "That doesn't make any sense, Dad. You found a cat?"

"No, Chat. Chat Noir," Tom clarified. When Marinette remained silent, he went on, "We found him unconscious in the alley. He's sick."

"What?!"

Tom held the phone away from his ear with a wince. "Marinette…"

"Sorry, er, so, you're looking for Ladybug to help him?"

"That's it. We were hoping Alya might know."

"No sightings of Ladybug tonight, Mr. Dupain-Cheng," spoke up Alya, who must have been listening. "It's all quiet tonight. We can go check around, though. She's usually out about now."

"No, that's not necessary. It's late," Tom said.

"No problem, Mr. Dupain-Cheng," Alya insisted. "Besides, the twins have energy to burn before bedtime." Her voice faded slightly as she said, "Who wants a last-minute run to the park!" Cheers from the twins followed the announcement.

"Looks like you have a Ladybug search party," Marinette said.

"Oh, well, don't stay out too late," Tom said.

"Of course not, Dad. See you soo- tomorrow! See you tomorrow, love you, bye!" The last part came out in a rush before Marinette hung up.

Tom stared at the phone, then chuckled and put away his phone. He went back to Sabine and Chat. The boy -Tom couldn't think of him as anything else- was still in the fetal position and wretchedly shivering.

"Tom…" Sabine said lowly.

The parents gave each other worried frowns at the sight of the miserable teenager. If Ladybug didn't show up soon, Tom wondered if they would have to take the hero to the hospital after all.

Tom wracked his brain for something that would comfort Chat, then he remembered how the boy had purred at being held earlier.

Carefully, Tom sat down close to Chat and wrapped his arms around him. Chat gave a whine and curled himself impossibly smaller, but Tom picked him up and deposited the shivering lump onto his lap. Sabine slid in beside him.

"Come on, let's see your face," Tom said gently, nudging a finger under Chat's chin.

Chat whimpered and shifted an arm to hid his face. Tom's attempt to move the arm got him nowhere. He looked helplessly at Sabine.

Sabine carded a gentle hair through tousled blond hair. Quietly, she started to hum an old lullaby from her childhood.

Chat relaxed little by little, eventually removing his arm from his face. Tom grabbed the discarded towel and wiped away the sweat that had gathered. Once again, Chat leaned into the towel.

Whether it was the hand through his hair, humming, or the cool cloth, Chat started to purr once again. His frame relaxed until Tom was able to pull him out of the ball position.

Shifting so that he leaned into the corner of the couch, Tom pulled Chat along to lay against him. He was careful to keep gentle contact so the boy would hopefully stay calm. Luckily, the transition went smoothly, and Tom was able to halfway lay down with Chat's head on his shoulder.

Sabine stood and pulled a chair over so she could sit on the other side of the arm of the couch. She kept running her hand through Chat's hair and humming, while Tom focused on laying still and watching the boy's breathing.

Some time passed, in which Chat seemed to fall into a deep sleep. His breathing steadied out, and his purring had reached an all-time high. Sabine thought he was slightly cooler, and his face wasn't quite as pale.

Eventually, a quiet voice broke the spell.

"Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng?"

Tom and Sabine looked up, startled to find Ladybug standing in their living room. Neither of them had noticed her enter through the open window that had been closed minutes before.

"Your daughter told me that you found Chat Noir," Ladybug said, eyes never leaving her partner.

"You're here," Tom said, relieved. "Yes. He's sick."

Ladybug stepped beside Sabine and brushed back Chat's hair. She murmured, "Oh, Chaton. Why didn't you tell me you were sick?"

"We did all we could," Sabine said. "But we were ready to take him to the hospital."

"I know someone who can help," Ladybug said. "Can I?"

Tom handed Chat over, albeit reluctantly. Chat's purring stuttered, then resumed more softly as Ladybug somehow managed to get him positioned so she still had a hand free.

"Thank you for taking care of him," Ladybug said, nodding to them.

"Will he be okay?" Sabine asked, standing.

"He'd better be," Ladybug murmured under her breath. Louder, she said, "He's a very tough kitty. I expect he'll be back out within a couple days, no matter what I tell him."

Tom watched Ladybug walk to the window. While she didn't appear to be struggling with the weight, Chat Noir was bigger than her.

Tom half wanted to insist on her staying. It was so late, and who knew how far she had to go to get to the doctor Chat needed. He almost said something, then paused.

"Be careful," Sabine said, sharing his thoughts.

Ladybug stopped beside the window and glanced back. "I will be."

"If you ever need anything, you can always come here," Tom said.

"Thank you," Ladybug said. There was a hint of mischief in her smile. "And thank you for watching my kitty."

And just like that, Ladybug was gone. For a minute, Tom and Sabine were silent.

"Tom," Sabine said. "The heroes of Paris are children."

"They are," Tom said, his amazed tone matching hers.

Neither said it, but both decided right then to keep a closer eye on their city's heroes.

* * *

**A/N: Kwami can get sick, so just imagine both the kwami and holder getting sick!**

**Guest review responses! ( I might end up responding to reviews a second time, due to the chapter shuffle.)**

**Guest: Yay, thanks! The Deep is on Netflix (otherwise I'd never have found it) and I'll be keeping an eye out for ideas. ;)**

**Random Fan: I care! And as for your idea, that gave me two story plots! I'm working on _Lion on the Cold Hard Ground_ for a goofy one, then _Day Forty-Seven: Grounded _should be more serious, but I've hit snags on them so it could be a bit. As for talking to others' OC's, well... who doesn't!**

**Random Fan's Sis: Weirdness is allowed and encouraged on my watch. XD I hope you liked The Deep (but if not, eh, to each their own) and good luck with your brother! And I'm so glad that my stories are Mom-approved! That's really what got me into posting, because sometimes there just aren't enough PG stories to go around.**


	6. Plagg's Kit (ML)

**A/N: Series: Miraculous Ladybug**

**Synopsis: Adrian returns home filthy and hurting, but can't exactly go to his father. So, Plagg steps in.**

**Notes: This takes place shortly after Adrien first gets his Miraculous, so he's still figuring out how to balance his two lives. And in case I missed any, I do accidentally alternate in the spellings of Adrian's name. XD**

* * *

"Plagg, claws in."

After Adrien de-transformed, Plagg groaned. The grumpy kwami pressed his paws against his back, eyes closing with a louder groan.

"Adrien, what did you do? I haven't been this sore in years!"

When his complaint was met with silence, Plagg peeked open an eye.

Adrien had flopped stomach first onto the couch. His face and hair was unusually dirty and mussed, and his eyes were distant.

"Adrien?" Plagg asked, floating closer. "Are you okay?"

"Hm?" Adrien blinked, eyes coming into focus. "Did you say something?"

Plagg huffed. "Are. You. Hurt!?"

Something akin to panic flared in Adrien's eyes. He shoved himself upright and scrambled to stand. He drew himself to stand straight, as if Gabriel had entered the room.

"No, no, everything's fine." Adrien dropped his gaze.

Plagg instantly regretted his tone. He was used to more bold, cocky keepers, and it hadn't taken long for him to realize that Adrien was very different from his past keepers.

However bold and reckless Chat Noir was, Adrien had yet to realize that the same freedom could extend beyond the mask. Adrien was so used to putting on a quiet, obedient "mask" that he didn't know how to say how he really felt, or if he was ever hurt.

Well, Plagg couldn't have that.

"Be honest with me, kid," Plagg said, doing his best to channel Tikki's calm gentleness. "Did you get hurt?"

"No, I'm fine. I'm just…" Adrien winced, as if the admission hurt, "Tired."

Plagg tapped a paw on his chin. "Well, it's late anyway. Just go to bed now, and you'll be ready to fight akumas again tomorrow!"

Adrein relaxed a bit and gave Plagg a genuine smile. "I thought you didn't like me fighting akumas."

"Only when you're at it for hours at a time!" Plagg complained dramatically. "I mean, look at you!"

Adrien touched his spiked-up hair, causing dried mud to break off and sprinkle onto the couch. He grimaced, more sheepish than ashamed.

"This wasn't from an akuma," Adrien explained. "I just mistimed one of my jumps and fell off a roof into some mud."

Plagg stared. "Just" fell off a roof? Adrien was definitely way, way more casual about the danger he was in as Chat Noir.

"Plagg?" Adrien cupped his hands around the kwami. "Are you okay? Do you get hurt if I do when I'm transformed?"

Plagg's eyes narrowed. "So you are hurt!"

"Um…" Adrien moved one hand away to rub the back of his neck. "Well, it didn't tickle."

"Adrien, Adrien," Plagg groaned. "The only pain I feel is my howling stomach when we're done. But, you! Your armor will protect you, but you're still going to be affected afterwards unless Ladybug does her magical ladybug healing!"

"Oh…"

Plagg sighed and floated higher. He burrowed through Adrien's hair, ignoring the boy's protests when his searching dislodged more dried mud. Once he was satisfied that Adrien had no bumps or cuts on his head, Plagg checked the rest of him.

Luckily for Adrien, the only visible injury was a shallow cut on his left arm. It was already crusted over, but that wasn't enough for Plagg.

"Stay here for a minute," Plagg told Adrien before zipping off.

Plagg flew to the bathroom. He located a rarely used first-aid kit in the back of the cabinet, and dug around inside until he found what he wanted.

"Plagg, it's not that bad," Adriend said when Plagg returned with his supplies.

Plagg sniffed. "I've been patching up Chat Noirs for ages. I know what's needed."

Grinning in amusement, Adrien beckoned for Plagg to go ahead.

First, Plagg wiped the cut clean with some gauze, then he struggled to put on some antibacterial gel over the cut. It was a bit much, but Plagg figured it was better than too little. Last, he took a Band-Aid -a bright, colorful thing obviously meant for kids- and stuck it over the cut.

Plagg studied the oozing gel and lopsided Band-Aid. Okay, maybe he was exaggerating his abilities at doctoring, but it wasn't so bad!

"You really should have mentioned that sooner," Plagg scolded gently.

Adrien, looking at Plagg's paw-work, chuckled. "Okay, Father."

Plagg and Adrien froze. Adrien's eyes darted up to Plagg, then to his feet.

"I'm going to bed," Adrien murmured.

Plagg silently followed Adrien to his room, even skipping his nightly plead for camembert. Adrien got into his PJ's and collapsed into bed, staring at the wall with eyes that had once again turned distant.

Plagg, meanwhile, was at a loss. He knew that Adrien's slip would have been funny with anyone else, but Gabriel Agrest had taken any sense of fun out of the idea of a father. Under normal circumstances, Plagg would have been insulted at being compared to the stiff, harsh man.

But nothing about Adrien's family was normal.

Plagg shook his head, focusing back to the present. Though Adrien had cleaned his face while getting changed, he'd forgotten about the mess in his hair. Plagg floated to Adrien's shoulder, but hesitated in urging Adrien to get back up and clean himself.

Adrien was obviously sore from the fall, so Plagg thought it was best to just leave the boy alone. But Adriend couldn't sleep like that, unless…

Adrien was going to owe him big time, Plagg decided.

Keeping an eye on Adrien's face, Plagg settled himself in Adrien's hair and started licking the muddy strands. When Adrien gave no response, Plagg nodded to himself and worked faster.

Plagg's tiny tongue meant slow going, but Plagg didn't mind. He fell into a steady rhythm of lapping and rubbing Adrien's hair into place.

Adrien stirred when Plagg was halfway done. Plagg, tongue still sticking out, froze and glanced at his face.

Adrien's eyes were closed and his face was relaxed. From the deep, even breaths, Plagg decided he was deep asleep.

Satisfied, Plagg smiled and turned back to his work, confident that he could finish in peace. Then…

"Are you purring?"

Plagg jumped at Adrien's sleepy mumble. He spun to see one of the boy's eyes open a slit. Plagg coughed a bit, trying to disguise the traitorous rumble in his chest.

"Uh… you must be dreaming," Plagg said with a nervous chuckle. "Or maybe _you're_ purring."

Adrien just hummed a bit and closed his eyes. Plagg returned to his work with a grunt that was definitely not a purr until Adrien's hair was decent again.

Nodding to himself, Plagg floated over Adrien. The boy was fully asleep by then, curled in a ball much like a cat. Plagg smiled and started to float to his own bed, then stopped and looked back.

Adrien was just his keeper, but… but the boy was his. The other kwami would laugh if they knew Plagg was actually getting attached for once, but how could he not? Adrien was a lost little kitten, just wanted to be loved a bit and get a little approval. Maybe have someone gently clean his scrapes and praise him, and Gabriel sure wasn't giving him that much.

Without really thinking about it, Plagg floated back to land on Adrien's shoulder. He patted Adrien's cheek, keeping his voice low at the risk of anyone hearing.

"Good job today, kid."

Adrien sighed contentedly in his sleep and curled up tighter. Plagg bunched up the PJ's to make a sort of nest, then curled into a tighter ball than Adrien. He was asleep as well in seconds.


End file.
